2019-12-17

Joshua 21:1-45

The Levites being the only tribe that was not awarded land, came forward to ask for towns to live in and pasturelands for their livestock. Since the Lord was Levites’ inheritance (Joshua 13:33), they were to serve before God on behalf of the people. As God’s servants, they too needed means of subsistence in order to perform the holy work of God. The rest of the tribes gave the Levites towns and pasturelands out of their own inheritance in obedience to God’s command (v.3)

The Levites were scattered all over the promised land and they lived among their brothers from other tribes. They was no mention of bitterness or discontentment in giving up their towns for the Levites.

As believers, we too should be mindful not to hold our worldly possessions so tightly that we fail to share with those who are called to devote full time in ministry. We must recognize that all that we possessed were first given to us by God, just as the Israelites’s land was given to them by the Lord.

Many of us may not be called to be missionaries or pastors, but as believers we are like the Levites- priests to the people around us. “You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light” -1 Peter 2:9–10.

We are called to minister and share the gospel with the people around us. Believers are embedded all over the world, just as the Levites are scattered throughout the land. We are called to shine for Jesus. Sometimes it seems like the world is overpowering us, and our light gets dimmer or flickers, but Jesus told us to take heart because He had overcome the world- John 16:33.

It was a daunting task for the Israelites to overtake the land of Canaan where the gigantic people lived (Numbers 13:33; Joshua 21:11) ultimately, God’s promises prevailed, not even one failed (v.44). God handed the Israelites’ enemies to them, and as a result the Israelites took possession of the land sworn to their forefathers. We too can be sure that the promises of God for us will one day come to pass…‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”-Revelation 21:4         —- Lai Yee Leong